Management of pea rust disease under subtropical condition in Jammu

This study investigated the effects of different sowing dates, row spacing, and fungicidal treatments on rust disease severity and yield in peas during the Rabi season of 2021-2022. The highest disease severity was recorded for sowings on December 15th (58.29%) and the lowest on October 15th (6.89%). Similarly, the maximum yield and test weight were observed for sowings on October 15th (760.78 kg/ha and 175.87 g, respectively), while the minimum values were recorded for December 15th sowings. Row spacing trials revealed the highest disease severity at 15 cm spacing (74.22%) and the lowest at 45 cm (21.77%). The maximum yield and test weight were achieved at 45 cm spacing (728.84 kg/ha and 169.43 g, respectively).In addition, the study assessed the efficacy of nine fungicides and two biocontrol agents against pea rust. Tebuconazole proved most effective, reducing disease severity to 14.43% and increasing yield by 93.93% compared to the control. Other effective treatments included combinations of Carbendazim with Tebuconazole, and Trifloxystrobin with Propiconazole. The control plot showed the highest disease severity (50.27%) and the lowest yield (405.31 kg/ha). These results highlight the importance of optimizing sowing dates, row spacing, and fungicide applications to manage pea rust and enhance yield.